admit the Succession of Etheldred both in respect of the Murther of King Edward his elder Brother committed for his sake as also for that he seem'd a Man very unsit for Government and of this Opinion was that holy Man Dunstand Archbishop of Canterbury who in flat words denied to Consecrate him but seeing the most part of the Realm incline to his side he told that it would repent them afterwards and that in his Life the Nation should be destroy'd as indeed it was and he forc'd to Normandy and left Sweno and his Danes in the possession of the Realm thô after Sweno's Death he return'd and died in London He had two Wives the first an English Woman by whom he had prince Edmond Sirnam'd Ironside for his great strength and courage Now he that will consider the passage of the Crown of England from the death of Edmond Ironside eldest Son of King Etheldred until the acquisition thereof by William Duke of Normandy will easily se what Authority the Commonwealth hath had to alter Titles of Succession according as publick necessity required Now since King William the First commonly call'd the Conquerour thô in truth he never grounded his Title upon any thing but the Election of the Confessor and Consent of the people the exclusion of Princes against the ordinary course of Succession is more notorious than in elder times therefore I shall only refer the Reader to their particular Lives who succeeded before the lawful Heirs by propinquity of Blood. As first William Rufus and henry the First before Robert their elder Brother King Stephen before Henry the Second and King John before Arthur Duke of Britain Some years afte when the Barons and States of England dislik'd the Governent of King John they rejected him and chose Lewis the Prince of France to be their King and swore Fealty to him at London and depriv'd the young Prince Henry his Son but after the death of his Father king John they recall'd again that Sentence and admitted this Henry to the Crown by the name of Henry the third and disannull'd the oath and Allegiance made to Lewis of France Now from this Henry the Third the Houses of Britany Lancaster and York do seem to issue as a triple Branch our of one Tree Now if we consider the Titles of the Kings of the House of York and those of Lancaster we shall see plainly that the best of all their Titles after the deposition of King Richard the Second depended most or the Authority of the Commonwealth for as the People were affected and the greater part prevailed so were their Titles either confirm'd altered or disannulled by Parliament and yet we may safely affirm that either part when they were in possession of the Crown and confirm'd therein by parliament were true and lawful Kings and that God concur'd with them as with true Princes for government of their People For if we should deny this Point great Inconveniences would follow and we should shake the States of most princes in the World at this day as by Examples which I have already alledg'd may appear And sO I shall end this point affirming That as propinquity of Blood is a great preheminence towards the attaining of any Crown yet it doth not bind the Commonwealth to admit it if weightier Reasons should urge the contrary Now it will be a further proof of what I have before alledg'd viz. That all Commonwealths have prefix laws to their Princes which they are as much bound to keep as any Subject if we consider their oaths at their Admission or Coronation And first of the Emperour who Swears to defend the Christian Religion to minister Justice equally to all Men to keep and observe all laws and priviledges of the Empire not to alienate or engage the possessions of the Empire to condemn no man but by course of Law and that whatsoever he does otherwise shall be void and of no validity Unto these Articles he Swears first by his Legates and he gives a Copy of his oath to each Elector and after he goes to be Crown'd where in the middle of Mast the Archbishop of Colen asks in the presence of all the the People Whether he is ready to Swear to the aforesaid Articles and he answers that he is then the Archbishop leads him to the high Altar where he Swears to them in express words which being done the Archbishop turning to the princes of the Empire and People there present asks them Whether they be content to swear Obedience and Fealty to him who answers Yes then he 's Anointed and the other two Archbishop lead him into the Vestry where Deacons are ready to put on his Robes then the Bishop of Colen delivereth him a drawn Sword and puts a Ring on his Finger and a Scepter in his Hand and then the three Archbishops put the Crown on his head and so he 's plac'd on the Imperial Throne where all the Princes swear Obedience to him Now it 's to be noted that the Emperour Swears three times twice himself and once by his Deputies before his Subjects Swear once to him In Polonia the manner of Crowning thieir King is in substance the same as of the Emperour His Oath is in these Words I do promise and swear before God and his Angels that I will do Law and Justice to all and keep the Peace of Christ's Church and the Vnion of his Catholick Faith and if which God forbid I should break my Oath I am content that the Inhabitants of this Kingdom owe no Duty or Obedience unto me as God shall help me and gods Holy Gospel In Spain I find that the manner of admitting their Kings was different and not the same before and after the destruction thereof by the Moors but yet in both times their Kings did Swear in effect the self-same Points which before have been mentioned in other Kingdoms Now Ambrosio Moral reports Ambro. Moral lib. 13. cap. 2. That a certain law was found writen in the Gothish Tongue and left since the time of Don Pelayo the first King after the Moors which prescrib'd how Men must make their King in Spain and how he must swear to the priviledges and Liberties of that nation Before all things it 's establisht for a law Liberty and Priviledge of Spain that the Kings shall be made by Voices and Consent perpetually to the intent that no Evil king may enter without the Consent of the people seeing they are to give him that which with their Blood and Labours they have gain'd from the Moors Thus far goes the first Article of this Law which is the more to be noted because the most ancient of the Spanish Historians do say that from this Don Pelayo the Succession of their Kings was ever by propinquity of Blood and yet we see that Election was joyned with it in express terms The second part of that Law contain'd the Ceremonies us'd in those old times at the admission of their
And this was done in a General Parliament which was held at Segovia in the year 1276. and the two Princes his Nephews were put in Prison but afterwards by the intercession of their Uncle King Philip of France they were releas'd and had certain Lands given them and of them came the Dukes of Medina Coeli and all the rest of the House of Cerda which are of great Nobility in Spain Not long after this Garab lib. 15. 〈◊〉 1. An. 1363. when Don Pedro Sirnamed The Cruel King of Castile was driven out and his Bastard-Brother Henry the Second set up in his place John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster having Married Dono Constantia the said King Peters Daughter and Heir pretended by Succession to the said Crown of Castile which was really his Right but yet the State of Spain denyed it flatly and defended it by Arms and prevailed against John of Gaunt as did also the Race of Henry the Bastard against his lawful Brother and the Race of Don Sancho the Uncle against his lawful Nephews and this hapned in the third and principal Descent of the Spanish Kings when this Matter of Succession was most assuredly and perfectly establisht and yet who will deny the Kings of Spain who held under the latter Titles To be true and lawful Kings By which it appears how frequently the Line of Succession has been altered in Spain upon any reasonable Consideration which they imagined to be for the Publick good And the like we shall find in France and England which we shall begin to treat of Now concerning the State of France thô since the Entrance of King Pharamond with his Franks out of Germany which was about the year of Christ 419. they have never had any Stranger come to wear the Crown which they attribute to their Salick Law that forbids Womens Reign yet they have twice chang'd their whole Race and Linage of Kings once by the Entrance of King Pepin who put out the Line of Pharamond about the year 751. and again in the promotion of Hugo Capetus who put out the Line of Pepin in the year 988. so as they have had three Descents and Races of Kings as well as the Spaniards Now I 'le pass over all the first Race of the Franch Kings as I also did the Spanish because some men may say That the Commonwealth and Law of Succession was not so well setled in those days as it was afterwards in the time of Pepin Charles the Great and their Descendents Therefore I shall only mention the second Rank which began with the Exclusion and Deposition of their lawful King Childerick the Third and Election of King Pepin in the year of Christ 781 after 22 Kings which had Reigned of the first Line of Pharamond for the space of Three hundred years This King Reigned 18 years being a famous King as all the World knows left his Kingdom by Succession to his eldest Son Charles Sirnamed aster The Great for his Famous and Heroical Acts. And thô the whole Kingdom belong'd to him by right of Succession yet did the Realm of France shew her Authority in his Admission â—â—rard du â—ilan lib 3. as the Historian relates in these Words King Pepin being dead the French chose for their King his two Sons Charles and Carlomon on condition that they should divide the Realm equally betwixt them which was a heavy Condition to the elder Brother to part with half his Kingdom After these Brothers had Reigned together three years King Carlomon died and left many Sons but the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of France Swore Allegiance to Charles without any respect to the Children of Carlomon who by right of Succession should have been preferred After Charles the Great Reigned his Son Lewis the First Sirnamed Debonnaire of his Courtesie who entred with great Applause of all Men for the exceeding grateful Memory of his Father but he was Deposed by the means of his Sons and was put in a Monastery thô after he came to Reign again â—erard lib. 5. â—n 834. and his fourth Son by his second Wife named Charles the Bold succeded him in the Crown after many Battels against his elder Brother Lothair to whom it belong'd by Succession After Charles the Beld succeeded Lewis the Second who was the third Son for the Second died before his Father and the Eldest was put by for his ill Demeanour This Lewis also had like to have been deprived by the States at his Entrance for the Hatred conceived against his Father Gerard. lib. 1. had he not call'd a Perliament at Campeigne and sweetned the People and Nobility with many fair Promises This Lewis left two Bastards by a Concubine who were call'd Lewis and Carlomon as also an Infant newly born of his lawful Wife Adeltrude Daughter to King Alfred of England which Infant was King of France after by the Name of Charles the Simple thô not immediately after the Death of his Fahter For the Nobles of France said They had need of a Man to be King and not a Child and so the whole State of France chose for their Kings the two aforesaid Bastards and they were Crowned most solemnly and divided the whole Realm between them An. 881. and Queen Adeltrude with her Child true Heir of France fled into England to her Fahter and there kept him many years in which time she saw four or five Kings Reign in his place successively Of these two Bastards the Elder named Lewis Reigned but Four years and died without Issue the second named Carlomon lived but one year after him and left a Son called Lewis which succeeded him in the Kingdom by the name of Lewis the Fisth and Sirnamed Faineant for his idle and slothful Life for which as also for his vicious Behaviour and in particular for taking out and Marrying a Nun of the Abby of S. Saveour he was depriv'd and made a Monk in the Abby of S. Denis where he died and in his place was chosen King of France and Crown'd with great Solemnity Charles the Fourth Emperour of Rome who was Nephew to Charles the Bold before mentioned and therefore the French. Historians say That he came to the Crown partly by Succession and partly by Election but for Succession we see it was of no account being Charles the Simple the right Heir was alive in England and as it were forgotten being they had thrice excluded him and would not receive him after they had deprived Charles for his evil Government and rather chose one Odo Earl of Baris and Duke of Angiers and caused him to be Crown'd But after a few years being weary of this Man's Government and moved with Compassion towards the Youth in England they Deposed him while he was absent in Gascony and call'd Charles the Simple out of England and restor'd him to the Kingdom of France leaving only to Odo the State of Aquitain with Title of a Duke wherewith in rine he contented himself seeing
he could get no more But yet his Posterity by virtue of this Election ever after pretended a Title to the Crown of France and never desisted until by Hugo Capetus they got it for Hugh was descended of this King and Duke Odo This Charles the Simple was decoy'd into the Castle of Perene in Picardy where he was made Prisoner and fore'd to resign his Kingdom unto Ralph King of Burgundy and soon after he died in the Castle and his Queen Odin and English Woman fled into England with her little Son Lewis unto her Uncle King Adelstan as Queen Adeltrude had done before But this new King Ralph lived but three years aster and then the States of France considering the Title of Lewis the Lawful Son of Charles the Simple which Lewis was commonly called by the name of d'Outremere that is beyond Sea being he was brought up in England the said States being continually solicited by the Ambassadors of King Adelstan and by William Duke of Normandy in behalf of the young Prince they resolved to call him home as they had done his Father and to admit and Crown him King and so they did and he Reigned Twenty seven years and was a good Prince and died peaceably in his Bed in the year of Christ 945. This Lewis d'Outremere left two Sons behind him the eldest succeeded him by the name of Lothair the First and the youngest he made Duke of Lorrain Lothair dying left one Son named Lewis who succeeded him by the name of Lewis the Fifth but dying without Issue the Crown was to have gone by Lineal Succession to his Uncle Charles Duke of Lorrain second Son of Lewis d'Outremere but the States of France put him byfor mislike of his Person chose Hugo Capetus Earl of Paris and so ended the second Line of Pepin and of Charles the Great and entred the Race of Capetus Now thô all the French Chronicles are carnest defenders of their Law of Succession yet they justifie the Title of Capetus against Charles of Lorrain as may appear by the Words of an ancient and diligent Chronicler of the Abby of S. Denis who defends King Capetus in these Words We may not grant by any means that Hugh Capet should be esteemed an Invader or Vsurper of the Crown of France seeing the Lords Prelates and Princes of the Realm did call him to this Dignity and chose him for their King and Sovereign Lord. Upon which Words Belforest saith as follows Bel. lib 3. cap 1. I have laid besore you the Words and Censure of this good and religious Man for they seem to me to touch the quick for in truth we cannot defend the Title of Capetus by any means from Vsurpation and Felony but by justifying his coming to the Crown by the consent and good will of the Commonwealth And these Instances out of the second Line of France I take to be sufficient proof of our Assertion without going any further for if we do but number these Kings already named of this second Race from Pepin to Capet which are about Seventeen in Two hundred thirty eight years we shall sind that not few but the most part of them did both enter and enjoy their Crown and Dignity contrary to the Law of Lineal Descent and of next Succession by Blood. We shall therefore instance some Examples for our purpose out of the English History and so conclude this Point First then it 's to be noted That the Realm of England hath had as great variety changes and diversity in the Races of their Kings as any Nation in the World For after the Britains it had Romans for their Governours for many years and then of them and their Roman Blood they had Kings of their own as appears by that Valiant King Aurelius Ambrosius who resisted so manfully the Saxons for a time after his they had Kings of the Saxon and English Blood and after them of the Danes and then of the Normans and after them again of the French and last of all of the Scotch of whom King james the Sixth was descended which continues to this day Now I mean to pass over the first and ancient Races of Kings as well of the British and Roman as also of the Saxon Races until King Egbert the First of that Name King of the West Saxons and almost of all the rest of England besides who therefore is said to be properly the first Monarch of the Saxon Blood as he that first commanded the Realm to be called England which ever since has been observ'd Thsi Egbert was banish'd the Realm by King Britricus for the suspected that he might be chosen King by reason of his great Prowess and Valour He lived many years in France under the Famous King Pepin afterwards hearing Britrious was dead he came into England Polydor. lib. 4. and was chosen King by universal Consent of the People and he prov'd one of the best Kings that ever the Saxons had before or perhaps after and he and King Pepin of France began their Reigns as it were together and came both to their Crown by no other Title but the Election of the People This King Egbert left a lawful son behind him named Ethelwolf who succeeded him in the Kingdom and was a Famous a Man as his Fahter This Ethelwolf had four lawful sons who all in their turns succeeded by just and lawful Order in the Crown viz. Ethelbald Ethelbert Ethelred and Alfred and all the latter Three were most excellent Princes especially Alfred who drow Rollo that Famous Captain of the Danes from the Borders of England with all his Company into France where he got the Country then name Neustria and now Normandy and was the first Duke of that Nation from whom our William the Conquerour came afterwards in the 6th Descent This Alfred left one Son behind him named Edward who dying left two Sons lawfully begotten of his Wife Edigna one called Edmond the other Eldred Polydor. lib. 5. â—tow pag. 130. and a third Illegitimate nam'd Adelstan whom he had by a Concubine This last was preferr'd to the Crown before the other two legitimate princes only for his Valour and Conduct This Man dying without Issue his lawful Brother Edmond put back before was admitted to the Crown who Reigned six years and left two lawful Sons but they bing young were both put back and their Uncle Eldred preferr'd before them who after Nine years Reign died without Issue and so his elder Nephew Edwin was admitted to the Crown who after four years was Depos'd for his lew'd and vitious Life and his younger Brother Edgar admitted in his place This King Edgar who entred by Depositio of his Brother was one of the rarest Princes that the World had in his time both for peace and War Justice Piety and Valour He lest two Sons by different Wives Edmond and Etheldred the first was Murther'd after which many good Men of the Realm were of Opinion not to